I wonder what a typical manager would make in private industry if they were responsible for a $40 million dollar budget, by my count over 30 locations and over 400 employees. I mean I’d do it dor $99,000 a year but I’d also do a terrible job.

So, to those who try to turn this debate into “GJ vs the Ottawa Public Library” (as if a mega-library is the only thing that defines the OPL), I challenge you to also say that we need more of these highly-paid elites offering services to the underprivileged. Will you also stand up and say that these massive costs are justified to create a quiet place downtown to study or do research on the internet?

Not wanting to build a new main library is fine.

Avoiding talking about that facile and ill considered proposal to replace library staff with volunteers, that’s fine too.

Let Us Never Speak Of It Again.